Baby Food

Choosing Baby Food

A major question that all new parents face is what type of soft food to start a baby off with. There are a number of options available in the various types of food. Proper research can help ensure that the baby gets all the nutrition that it needs.

After the breastfeeding (or breast pump) stage, the common way to feed a baby is with soft food. That can be acquired by mashed bananas, mashed avocados, cooked oatmeal, applesauce, or commercial baby food that can be purchased at grocery stores.

Mothers usually switch from breastfeeding to soft food when their baby is six to eight months old, depending on their own circumstances. Signs of inclination include showing interest in what others are eating, having a bigger appetite that breast milk cannot fulfill, and the ability to sit up without any help.

Studies have shown that if a baby is exposed to too many different kinds of food at once, she may develop an allergy. Plus, if one introduces each kind of food one at a time, he will be able to monitor the baby’s allergy reactions, if any, and it will be easier to pinpoint what the baby is allergic to.

What is in store-bought baby food?

It has been discovered that Gerber, the top-selling baby food brand, does not wholly purify their food. For example, a jar of banana-flavored baby food isn’t made of 100% mashed bananas, but rather 50%, and the other half is a mix of sugar, water, and starch. Some kinds of Gerber’s diluted food solutions do not contain only the fruit, vegetable, or flavor advertised, but also other flavors, which can spark allergy reactions.

For decades, Gerber has resisted listing the percentage of the primary fruit/vegetable/flavor shown on the ingredients section of their label out of fear that once their customers gain knowledge of how diluted their food is, they will start buying more undiluted baby food from rival companies. When confronted about the ingredients in their product, Gerber defended itself by saying that they mixed starch, water, and sugar with natural fruit and vegetables in order to enhance taste. What they failed to claim is that babies usually find undiluted and homemade baby food just as tasty.

Today, more and more parents are leaning towards wholesome and homemade baby food because of the vitamins and nutrients involved. Many recipes are available online, as well as forums where parents give and receive advice.